Different recombination frequencies in wheat doubled haploid populations obtained through maize pollination and anther culture

This study compared the meiotic recombination frequency between wheat doubled haploid (DH) populations obtained through two different methods, maize pollination (MP female) and anther culture (AC male). The comparison was based on a genetic linkage analysis, performed with DNA markers. Thirty-five polymorphic markers (15 SSR, 15 AFLP, 5 RAPD) were screened in MP female and AC male doubled haploids populations, derived from the same hybrid genotype (F-1 of 'Eta' x 'Darkhan' 15'). Nine linkage groups, comprising 35 loci (the MP female lines) and 31 loci (the AC male lines), were constructed. The linkage groups in both DH populations showed identical orders of markers, except for one group mapping to chromosome 6B. The MP female and AC male linkage maps differed significantly in recombination frequencies for corresponding intervals. In total, the AC male linkage map (495.5 cM) was 40.5% longer than the MP female map (352.8 cM), indicating a significantly higher meiotic recombination rate in pollen mother cells. The enhancement in recombination was visible in five of nine linkage groups, and in 7 intervals between individual loci out of 19 compared. Moreover, for 6 other intervals a lack of linkage was observed in the AC male population, as compared to the MP female map.